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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

May/June Moths (1 Viewer)

Britseye said:
Not that I do, too, John, but your own county's site is particularly good and even while I was in Cornwall, I utilised their illustrated 'flying tonight' section repeatedly just to give an idea what was on the wing.

My only chance of seeing any moths at all at all at the moment is in the well-lit underpass round the back of my ma's house in N-E England. After six blank visits in the past month, finally got my first moth of the year in the form of a Streamer last night. Only the third one I've seen.

(I rarely write moth names down myself, but if I were to quantify the time it took to recognise what the unfamiliar abbreviation LBAM meant, I'd say 0.18 seconds;) )
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I look at Hants Moths Flying Tonight when I can't ID a moth from the field guide - often the thumbnail photos enlarge into something close, and the numbers column helps with judging likelihood. I say often, I probably check half a dozen moths a year. It's a resource, but I don't spend more time on it than I need to.

I need Streamer! :t:

John
 
Farnboro John said:
I look at Hants Moths Flying Tonight when I can't ID a moth from the field guide - often the thumbnail photos enlarge into something close, and the numbers column helps with judging likelihood. I say often, I probably check half a dozen moths a year. It's a resource, but I don't spend more time on it than I need to.

I need Streamer! :t:

John
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Me too!
 
Catching up on May:-

May 1st - two moths of two species with nothing new for the year.

May 2nd - a better night with nine moths of nine species with the highlight being Chocolate-tip.

May 3rd- only two moths of two species but Eyed Hawkmoth was new for the year.

May 4th - back to two moths of two species.

May 5th - seven moths of six species including Knot Grass and Buff-tip new for the year.

Elsewhere on the patch, a friend picked up a Netted Pug last night - at least five previous patch records but all nearer rockier coastline than my garden!

Pics - two Treble Lines; Pale Tussock; Muslin Moth; & Knot Grass.

All the best

Paul
 

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A few more pics from May to date - Buff-tip x 2; Chocolate-tip; Eyed Hawkmoth; & Netted Pug.

All the best

Paul
 

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Farnboro John said:
I look at Hants Moths Flying Tonight when I can't ID a moth from the field guide - often the thumbnail photos enlarge into something close, and the numbers column helps with judging likelihood. I say often, I probably check half a dozen moths a year. It's a resource, but I don't spend more time on it than I need to.

I need Streamer! :t:

John
Click to expand...

I think it is excellent resource & found this site so useful in learning moths, concentrating on those I'was most likely to see. Though I'm based around London it would be similar apart from maybe heathland species. Over a couple of years & regularly attending mothing sessions & looking at moth photos from peoples catches, my ID skills have dramatically improved.
 
aeshna5 said:
I think it is excellent resource & found this site so useful in learning moths, concentrating on those I'was most likely to see. Though I'm based around London it would be similar apart from maybe heathland species. Over a couple of years & regularly attending mothing sessions & looking at moth photos from peoples catches, my ID skills have dramatically improved.
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See, I'm not at the stage of learning moths. Its something to keep the interest going when there are no birds - hence this is the first year I've trapped in April/May. I look at what comes into the trap and if its repeated often enough I get the hang of it eventually.

Anyway, just three this morning (and two May Bugs):

Pale Tussock
Treble Lines - year tick
May Highflyer - year tick, not photographed previously

Better than nothing, two for the year one a photo-tick.

My big worry at the moment is I keep thinking about the bee field guide.... :eek!:

Cheers

John
 
Farnboro John said:
See, I'm not at the stage of learning moths. Its something to keep the interest going when there are no birds - hence this is the first year I've trapped in April/May. I look at what comes into the trap and if its repeated often enough I get the hang of it eventually.

Anyway, just three this morning (and two May Bugs):

Pale Tussock
Treble Lines - year tick
May Highflyer - year tick, not photographed previously

Better than nothing, two for the year one a photo-tick.

My big worry at the moment is I keep thinking about the bee field guide.... :eek!:

Cheers

John
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Go on John get the bee guide! As I've not been work & won't now be doing any foreign trips this year I've been concentrating on learning some more bees (I've known some of the obvious ones for a while) & improving my hoverfly knowledge. I've no interest in dissecting things so will never ID all of them + some are really tiny so will be lucky to get beyond genus.

Though I'm an obviously keen birder I've always been an all round naturalist so try to look at as many things that are around me. Just wish I didn't forget things!
 
All I got on Monday night was a Treble Lines and a Coxcomb Prominent.

I've been trapping for about 10 years now and I trapped my first Streamers on 12th April this year, two together. Its what I like about moths, you never know what might turn up.

Lewis
 
aeshna5 said:
Go on John get the bee guide! As I've not been work & won't now be doing any foreign trips this year I've been concentrating on learning some more bees (I've known some of the obvious ones for a while) & improving my hoverfly knowledge. I've no interest in dissecting things so will never ID all of them + some are really tiny so will be lucky to get beyond genus.

Though I'm an obviously keen birder I've always been an all round naturalist so try to look at as many things that are around me. Just wish I didn't forget things!
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Ordered :t:

John
 
I need Streamer for my garden (and either of the previous two) but have caught it in a more rural garden I used to have access to.

In case anyone has not seen it there is an excellent summary of the national moth season so far on the Birdguides website - not sure if it is freely accessible or not though. Written by Steve Whitehouse and some very well chosen photos.

And just one moth for me last night, Cinnabar NFY. Tonight could be better.

Steve
 
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As a brilliant resource for sorting out what is in the trap (being new to mothing) I find the Flight Arrivals Norfolk Moths site wonderful. Especially given that it has large pics and a day by day record. It really narrows down what is about and saves lots of page flicking through a book (although I then check the book afterwards).
 
Rubia said:
As a brilliant resource for sorting out what is in the trap (being new to mothing) I find the Flight Arrivals Norfolk Moths site wonderful. Especially given that it has large pics and a day by day record. It really narrows down what is about and saves lots of page flicking through a book (although I then check the book afterwards).
Click to expand...

Its just occurred to me that what I do is not learn the moths, I learn the book. So page flicking actually works really quickly because I know generally where I'm going.

Notwithstanding which these record-based what to expect day-by-day webpages for counties are really useful, especially for any moth not quite like the book illustration.

John
 
Had my first Mint Moth in the garden for the season this morning. While on my walk this afternoon added Water Veneer, Mother Shipton & Burnet Companion..
 
Four moths this morning, and three May Bugs.

Oak Hook-tip was NFY, otherwise one each of Common Pug, Green Carpet and Pale Tussock. Not big numbers but a class catch.

John
 
East Cheshire Garden:
White-pinion Spotted (NFG), Brimstone 2, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Iron Prominent 2, Pale Tussock, Lime Hawk-moth, Flame Carpet 2, Common Marbled Carpet, Cinnabar, Bee Moth, Bright line Brown-eye, May bug
 
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Not perhaps as good as I hoped in Herts. 17 moths. 3 Brimstone, 3 LB Apple Moths, Pale Tussock, Small Waved Umber, Lime Hawk, Cinnabar, Bee Moth, Double-striped Pug, 2 White-shouldered House Moth and a few worn Pugs. But, the Brit tick for me was Scalloped Hazel.
Fingers crossed for tonight, temp looks reasonable.
 
Another meagre catch but at least it takes my total for the year past a hundred - 102 of 32 species.

Micros -
LBAM 4
TA 2 (just being awkward - Tachystola acroxantha)
Macros -
Brimstone 2 (NFY)
Bright-line Brown-eye (NFY)
Pale Mottled Willow (NFY)

Steve
 
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